The Land of Iron project is a Heritage Lottery Funded project in the North York Moors National Park which is conserving, protecting and promoting the remains of the ironstone mining industry which was active around Rosedale from the mid 1800’s to 1926.

Although the subject matter of the Land of Iron project is from a by-gone era, the project is actively utilizing modern digital technology, including 3D recording of archeological sites and drone and hand-held camera photogrammetry, the process of using digital photographs to reconstruct three dimensional, digital models of objects, buildings and sites. We are currently in the midst’s of what is being called the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Recent digital technological advancements such as the internet, 3D scanning, computer aided design, coding, 3D printing, laser cutting, digital manufacturing, robotics, electronics and microcontrollers are transforming our lives. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is being driven by an explosion of knowledge and information that is readily accessible to virtually everybody to learn how to use these digital technologies to do and make virtually anything. In this talk, I will show, describe and demonstrate some of the Land of Iron projects that are using readily accessible, inexpensive and often free, digital technologies and software. This includes web based ‘time-sliders’ that that allow users to control the transition between original and modern photographs of sites in the Land of Iron project and a fully automated, but simple, motor controlled, geared, cardboard cut-out, photogrammetry turntable that rotates small objects and triggers a camera to capture photographs to reconstruct three dimensional models of artifacts. Although the talk will be of a technical nature, it is intended to appeal to adults and children of all ages and technical abilities. Please, everybody, come along to learn how technology from the Fourth Industrial Revolution is helping us to learn about what went on during the First Industrial Revolution.

Distance: 3¾ miles; Ascent 395ft; Duration 3½-4 hours We set off at 10:30am from the car park at Errington Woods (NZ 618201). The walk is a circular walk, done in a clockwise direction, mostly on or near a contour level. The heritage will cover the ironstone mine at Upleatham, its association with the mine at Hob Hill, Saltburn, and the village and Hall at Upleatham.

A charge of £2 per person will be made on each walk to offset the costs of Insurance. Please wear appropriate footwear and have clothing suitable for the likely weather conditions on that day. It is suggested that you bring food and drink as we usually stop between midday and 1:00pm for a lunch break.

Further details can be had from: skeltonhistorygroup@gmail.com or by contacting Peter Appleton (Tel: 01287 281752)

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CLEVELAND INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY LECTURE
Underground Exploration of some of the Mines in the Esk Valley

By Simon Chapman author of Grosmont and its mines
Monday 12th March at 7:30 pm
Saltburn Community Centre Hall

In recent years members of the Cleveland Mining Heritage Society have been clearing, identifying and exploring some of the mines along the Esk Valley. This is a rare chance to see some images and hear about the work undertaken by the group in association with the landowners. Simon Chapman, author of Grosmont and its Mines, Commondale Mine etc. will tell the story of some of these mines and give a glimpse of a moment in time long since hidden.

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The scheme to build Paddy Waddells Railway (or Cleveland Extension Mineral Railway to give its full name) was started in 1872 and intended to connect Kilton Thorpe to the ironworks at Glaisdale. The scheme struggled financially from the outset as the Eskdale mines and furnaces in the South all struggled, whilst iron mining and production became concentrated to the North in Cleveland. After year of inactivity the scheme was finally scrapped in the 1889. Glaisdale Ironworks having already closed by this point anyway.
Many parts of the infrastructure of the line were constructed, even though no trains ever ran.
This bridge was constructed at Rake House in Glaisdale to carry the road over the railway.

Post code YO18 8RQ
Exhibition and display, walks to the mines (both days), a talk by local Mines and Railway expert, Malcolm Bisby and local art and craft. Refreshments.

Rosedale History Society, in association with “The Land of Iron” HLF funded project currently underway here in Rosedale and in the Esk Valley, is holding a weekend exhibition of archive material including photographs, maps and plans, artefacts and much more. There will be plenty to see for the industrial history enthusiasts, including loaned items from Ryedale Folk Museum, and not forgetting the stories of wives and children of the miners and railwaymen, and Rosedale’s own social history.

There will be some hands-on activities for children, information on local wildlife and the opportunity to find out more about the “Land of Iron” project with information for upcoming volunteer opportunities.

If you feel like being involved in archaeology, surveys and a bit of clearing and digging, here’s your chance!

Scarborough artist, Andrew Cheetham, will be displaying work he produced while Artist in Residence here in Rosedale in 2010. Also, the Rosedale Art & Craft Group will showcase their high quality art and craft mixed media work, some available to buy.

WALKS: on both days there will be a guided walk to the mine sites of Rosedale East. These are free for both adults and children (aged 11 and over) starting from the Reading Room at 2.00p.m., returning approximately 4.30p.m. Please bring walking boots and bottled water. Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome.

TALK: Malcolm Bisby, our very popular local mines and railway expert will give a talk with slides at Rosedale Abbey Church at 6.00p.m. on SATURDAY 22nd. Free entry with a collection for the Church Roof Appeal.

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Theres lots of information held within this payslip that Gavin Brett shared, theres quite a bit thats difficult to read so I will add to this over time.

Dorman Long and Co. North Skelton Mines, 9th November 1935.
The payslip is for two people, G Thornton and (J Barnet ?) suggesting they were working as a team, probably one breaking the rock and one filling the tubs.
Their token number is 163, this would allow the weighman to record the stone extracted by them at surface.

They only worked 1.5 days and extracted over 29 tons of ironstone and a small amount of sulphur (this sits in a thin band at the top of the ironstone)

Theres a small amount paid for a consideration I can’t read.

The district percentage might apply if a certain area was more difficult to work than other parts of the mine.

8% piecework award, not sure yet.

Yards I suspect would be for driving passages through unproductive ground.
They are paying for their own blasting powder, its not provided.

The checkweightmans fund it most likely to pay for an impartial individual to confirm that the mine owners internal weighman is not underpaying the miners.

Northumberland and Durham Miners Permanent Relief Fund Friendly Society – Established in 1862, following the Hartley Pit Disaster, for provision of relief to miners and their families in case of fatal accidents or permanent disablement. The fund was wound up in 1995.

The amount earned is equivalent to about £90 today, so not much for 1.5 days work by two people

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Mining Geology Of The North York Moors By Dr Steve Livera
Local Jurassic rocks include Ironstone, Coal, Cement, Jet, Building Stone and Alum
Find out about the formation and resulting mining of these ores
Friday 3rd February at 7pm
St. Matthew’s Church, Grosmont
Donation of £3 includes refreshments

We are very fortunate to have a superb sequence of rocks across the North York Moors. They helped pioneering geologists define the early framework of the science and continue to be used to train the next generations. However the rocks have also been exploited throughout human history to build prosperity and develop the region. The Jurassic section spans some 50 million years of deposit and contains a large variety of ore minerals including ironstone, coal, cement, jet, building stone and alum. Each ore required unique environmental conditions for its formation and the talk will outline what these were and illustrate the resulting mining activity used in extraction.

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Hutton Hall was built in 1866 for Sir Joseph Whitwell Pease, the son of Joseph Pease one of the key players in the Stockton & Darlington Railway
Pease became first Baronet of Hutton Lowcross and Pinchinthorpe in 1882.

In 1902 a Bank crash forced the Pease family to sell the Hutton Hall estate, this photo is from the sale catalogue

In recent years members of the Cleveland Mining Heritage Society have been clearing, identifying and exploring some of the mines along the Esk Valley. This is a rare chance to see some images and hear about the work undertaken by the group in association with the landowners. Simon Chapman, author of Grosmont and its Mines, Commondale Mine etc. wiil tell the story of some of these mines and give a glimpse of a moment in time long since hidden.

The talk will be held in St. Matthew’s Church, Grosmont at 7pm on Friday 9th September, at the start of the national heritage weekend. Tickets cost £3, refreshments will be provided and all proceeds go towards the church, which incidentally sits on top of some of the earliest of Cleveland’s ironstone mines.